Railroad frogs



July 26, 1966 o. F. MAGNUs ETAL RAILROAD FROGS 5 Sheets-Sheet JL Filed OCT.. 7, 1965 INVENTORS OSCAR E Masiva/s BYJOSEPH P KLErNKoR-r @Mli/VMM HTTO RNE? July 25, 1966 o. F. MAGNUs ETAL 3,253,076

RAILROAD FROGS Filed Oct. 7, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mx wm Y Z5 g 3G INVEN RS Oscme F MQ Us BYJOSEPH P KLalNKoRT HTTOENE Y July 26, 1966 o. F. MAGNUs ETAL 3,263,076

RAILROAD FROGS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 7. 1963 INVENTOKS 06cm? F MAGNUS Z6 BYJosEPH P KLEaNKoRT M y Ma?? HTTORNEY July 26, 1966 o. F. MAGNUs ETAL 3,263,075

RAILROAD FROGS Filed Oct. 7, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS 05cm? F M NUS BYJOSEPH P K NKORT United States Patent O 3,263,076 RAILROAD FROGS Oscar F. Magnus, Tinley Park, and lloseph P. Kleinkort,

Wiimette, Ill., assignors to American Brake Shoe Company, Chicago, Iii., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 314,364 6 Claims. (Cl. 246-454) The invention relates to railroad track, and more particularly to frogs and crossings.

Conventional frogs and crossings, because of their nature, are wider than the running rail. They have wide bases which interfere with tamping the ballast between ties. This makes maintenance more difcult and often results in rough roadbed.

Objects of the present invention are to overcome these difhculties and to provide frogs and crossings which facilitate taniping of the ballast `between the ties so that the frog or crossing is supported by a more solid ballast.

One preferred form of the invention is applied to a small angle frog having a frog point with wing rails, and supported by a plurality of spaced wooden ties extending transversely of the frog axis. The frog has a box girder body with a top web, base web, and upstanding longitudinal webs. Where the frog body rests on a tie, the base web is solid, and the frog has base anges projecting outwardly to receive spikes for fastening down to the railway tie. Where the frog spans the ties, the outer flanges are omitted, and the outer upstanding webs are sloped downwardly and inwardly to provide recesses into the body of the frog. The base web has openings between ties providing partial iioors, and partial transverse ribs connect the top web, partial oors, and sloping side webs. The frog body has a central longitudinal web which is discontinued over the ties and is arched over the spaces between the ties.

Another preferred form of the invention is applied to a crossing having cruciform end and center castings connected by splice bars which form the two intersecting tracks. The angle of intersection is about 45 degrees which provides a diamond shaped crossing in which the ylonger `diagonal is assumed to be the crossing axis. Conventional railroad ties extend transversely of the crossing axis. The several castings are of box girder construction, having a top web, a base web with upstanding longitudinal webs. The top web carries the tread surfaces and flangeways. Where the castings rest on the ties, the base web is solid, and the casting has outwardly projecting base flanges to receive spikes for fastening down to the tie. Where the castings span the ties, the base webs are solid, but the outer upstanding webs are sloped downwardly and inwardly to provide recesses in the body of the casting.

In both preferred forms of the invention the body recesses formed by the downwardly and inwardly sloping upstanding webs and the omission of hold-down flanges between ties provide convenient access spaces for the tamping tool to reach the ballast between ties.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when considered with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a frog according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the frog of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the supporting portions and spanning portions of the frog;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are transverse sections taken on the lines 4 4 and 5-5 of FIG. 1, illustrating the toe end of the frog;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on the line66 of FIG. 1, illustrating the `construction of the frog body where it spans two ties;

Patented Juity 25, i965 FIG. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7-'7 of FIG. 1, illustrating the construction of the frog body where it is supported on a tie;

FIG. 8 is a transverse section taken on the line S--S of FIG. l, illustrating a spanning section of the frog body;

FIGS. 9-12 are transverse sections taken on the lines 3 9 to 12-12, respectively, illustrating the heel end of the frog;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a crossing made up of four cruciform end and center castings;

FIG. 14 is a section through an end casting taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 13, illustrating the construction of the end casting over a tie;

FIG. 15 is a section taken on the line 15-15 of FIG. 13, illustrating the construction of the end casting where it spans two ties;

FIG. 16 is a transverse section taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 13, illustrating the splice bar connection between an end and center casting;

FIG. 17 is a section taken on the line 17-17 of FIG. 13, illustrating the construction of the arms of a center casting where they rest on a tie; and

FIG. 18 is a transverse section taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 13, illustrating the construction of a center casting where it spans two ties.

In the following description and in the claims, Various details will be identified by specific names, for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings and `description forming part of this specication, certain specific disclosure of the invention is made for purposes of explanation, ybut it will be understood that the `details,r may be modiiied in various lrespects without departure from the broad aspect of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-12, the frog will iirst be described. It is made in the form of a one-piece manganese casting resting on wooden ties 25 extending perpendicular to the frog axis. The frog body comprises the frog point I@ and wing rails 11. Separating the frog point and wing rails are ilangeways 12 merging into the throat 13 of the frog.

The frog point 10 has a ibeveled tip 14 and diverges toward the heel end of the frog, at which end is a re duced stern 1S for connection to conventional running rails 16. See FIGS. 11 and 12. The wing -rails 11 diverge to the toe end of the frog to stems I9 ybetween which is a recess 17 for connection to conventional running rails 18. See FIGS. 4 and 5.

The wing rails 11 have tread surfaces 21 (see FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) on either side of the throat 13 and guard ilanges 22 to guide the wheel ianges in the proper angeway on either side of the frog point 1t?. The guard llanges 22 have at either end inclined ramp surfaces, as at 20 and 23 (FIG. 2). The guard flanges 22 also are llared Vas at 24 (FIG. 1).

The frog comprises a generally box girder body having a top web 32, a base web 26 connected by upstanding outer longitudinal webs 31 and 33 and longitudinally spaced center webs 34. The construction of the frog over the ties 25 is different from the construction of the frog over the ballast between ties.

As shown in FIG. 7, the supporting portion over the ties comprises a base web 26 which is solid, with base flanges 27 projecting outwardly and having spike holes 28 for fastening to the railway tie 2S. Upstanding webs 31 connect the base web 26 and the top web 32. The center web 34 is omitted here. See space 36 in FIG. 3.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, at the spanning portions between ties, the opstanding outer webs 33 are sloped downwardly and inwardly to provide recesses into the body of the frog `to facilitate tamping the ballast. The outer base flanges are omitted here for the same reason. The center web 34 is sprung from the base webs 26 on the ties and is arched over the space between ties; and the base web 26 has longitudinal openings 35 providing partial floors ,between ties. Transverse partial ribs 37 connect top web 32, base web 26 and sloping upstanding webs 33 to provide strength.

The large openings 35 in the base webs between ties, the arching of the center webs 34 and their longitudinal spacing at 36, the omission of the outer base flanges 27 all contribute to saving in unnecessary weight without sacrifice of strength.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the running rails 18 are conncted to the toe end of the frog in `the following manner. The upstanding webs 43 of the stems 19 have recesses 42 for the heads of the running rails 18. The upstanding web 43 provides a fishing surface engaging the fishing surfaces of the running rail 18. Aligned bolt holes pass through both upstanding webs for securing the running rail to the stem 19.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bottom of the stem 19 is raised with respect to the base flanges 27 on the body, to provide room for pairs of hooked tie plates 44 whos-e hooks engage over the base flanges of the stems 19.

Referring now t FIGS. 10-12, the running rails 16 are connected to the heel end of the frog in the following manner. The stem 15 has recesses 47 on either side to accommodate the heads of running rails 16. The upstanding webs 48 provide fishing s-urfaces engaging the fishing surfaces `of the rails 16. The upstanding webs 48 of the stem 15 have aligned bolt holes for receiving bolts, which also pass through the running rail 16 for clamping the running rails to the frog.

As shown in FIGS. 9-12, the bottom of the heel is elevated with respect to th-e base flanges 27 on the body of the frog, and pairs of hooked tie plates 49, f) are interposed between the heel and the ties 25. The tie plates 49 have hooks which engage over the outer base flanges of the heel, and tie plates S8 have hooks which engage over the base flanges of the running rails 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 13-18, the crossing will now be described. The crossing comprises four frogs constituting manganese steel castings 64I-63 of cruciform construction connected by splice bars 64. The castings are also connected to running rails 65 to form intersecting tracks A and B.

The crossing shown for purposes of illustration has a diamond configuration. The frogs 6G, 61 at the ends of the longer diagonal of the diamond are sometimes referred to as the end frogs, and the other two frogs 62, 63 as the center frogs. The axis of the crossing is assumed to pass through the centers of the two end frogs 66, 61. The wooden ties 59 are disposed at right angles to the axis of the crossing.

The end castings 66, 61 are of similar construction; so it is only necessary to describe one of them, and the center castings 62, 63 are of similar construction; so it is only necessary to describe one of them.

Referring to FIGS. 13-16, the end frog 69 is of generally box girder construction. It comprises a top web 66, a base web 67, outer upstanding webs 68, 69, and an inner upstanding web 70. The top web 66 carries the treadways and the flangeways for the car wheels. The casting 66 has arms 73 connected to the running rails 65 and arms 74 connected to splice bars 64.

The end casting 60 has an acute angle center point 7S and two obtuse angle side points 76, 77, which form part of the treadways and take the impact of car wheels. It also has an acute angle guard point 78 which does not carry any wheel treads. As shown in FIG. 13, the inner opstanding web 70 is Y-shaped in plan and is located under the center point 75.

As shown in FIG. 14, where the casting 61) rests on the tie S9, the base web 67 is solid, and the casting has outer base flanges 72 to receive spikes for securement to the underlying tie 59. Where the casting spans the ties (FIG. 15), the outer upstanding Webs 69 are sloped downwardly and inwardly to form lrecesses into the side of the casting body.

As shown in FIG. 16, the base web of the arm engaging the splice bars 64 is raised with respect to the base web of the body of the casting. A separate tie plate 71 having a seat for the arm is spiked to the tie 59.

Referring now to FIGS. 13, 17 and 18, the center frog 62 is of box girder construction, having a top web 80, a base web 81, outer upstanding webs 82, 83 and intermediate upstanding webs 84486. The intersecting flangeways providel two opposed, acute angle center points 88, 89 and an obtuse angle side point 90 which form part of the treadways and take the impact of the wheel treads. The other obtuse angle side point 91 does not support `wheel treads, performing only a guard function.

As shown in FIG. 13, Y-shaped upstanding intermediate webs 84 and 85 are disposed under the impact end points 88, 89, and an upstanding angle-shaped web 86 is disposed under impact side point 90.

The two arms 94 and 95 of the center casting 62 are cast with a single base web 96, as s-hown .in FIG. 17. The base web forms a solid base for the two arms and provides outer flanges to receive spikes for securement to the underlying tie 59. As shown in FIG. 18, where the casting spans the ties, the outer upstanding webs 83 are sloped downwardly and -inwardly to provide body recesses to give access to the ballast between the ties.

Referring to FIG. 13, the spaces between ties 59 are indicated by a to j. It will be noted that the body recesses provided by the sloping webs 69 (FIG. 15) and by the sloping webs 83 (FIG. 18) are located at spaces b, e, f and i. These spaces are adjacent the impact points 75, 76 and 77 of end frogs 60 and 61 and the impact points 88, 89 and 90 of the center frogs 62 and 63. Also the outer hold-down base flanges are omitted at all of the spaces a to j, all to provide easier access for the tamping tool to the ballast between and under the ties at the places under the frogs which would be otherwise difficult, if not impossible, to reach.

The low angle frog shown in FIGS. l-12 is a No. 8 frog having an angle of 7 degrees between flangeways. It will be understood that the invention may be applied to frogs of other low angles as, for example, angles from 3 to 15 degrees.

The crossing shown in FIGS. 13-18 has an angle of 42 degrees, 30 minutes. It will be understood that the invention may be applied to other crossing angles as, for example, angles from 7 to 50 degrees.

The great advantages in utility of this invention will be apparent from the above description. The omission of hold-down flanges between ties and the body recesses provided by the sloping upstanding Webs provide more convenient access to the ballast between the ties -and under the ties, which must be maintained in firm condition to give adequate support to the crossing to provide smooth riding. Further, the access recesses are located between those ties which support those points of the frog and crossing which take the impact of the car wheels jumping or bridging the flangeways between points. Further, the new constructions can be cast by ordinary techniques used for making manganese frogs and crossings.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that, in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents, various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway frog comprising a body of cast steel, said body comprising a top bridging web, and upstanding outer webs, said top web carrying intersecting Hange- Ways and treadways, said body having supporting portions for resting on railroad ties and a spanning portion for location between the ties, said body at said supporting portions having flanges projecting outwardly from said upstanding webs, at least one upstanding web at said spanning portion sloping downwardly and inwardly to 4form a body recess to give access to tools for tamping ballast between ties.

2. A railway frog according to claim 1, said body having a .base web forming a box-like structure, said base web at said supporting portions being closed.

3. A railroad frog according to claim 2, said intersecting angeways and treadways being disposed at an angle in the range of about 3 t-o 15 degrees, said flangeways defining a main point, said body having longitudinally extending center webs, said center webs being sprung from said base webs at said supporting portions and being arched over said spanning portions, said center webs being longitudinally spaced over said supporting portions.

4. A railway frog according to claim 3, said base web at said spanning portions having openings forming partial floors on either side, partial ribs connecting said top webs, sloping webs and partial oors on either side.

5. A railway frog according to claim -2, said frog comprising a center frog `of a crossing, said intersecting flangeways and treadways being dis-posed at an angle in the range of about 7 to 50 degrees, said angeways defining opposed, acute angle, center impact points, said flangeways` also deiining opposed, obtuse angle, side points, one of said side points constituting an impact point, said body having inner upstanding webs under said impact points, said side points being located over a supporting portion, said body having recesses on either side of said last-mentioned supporting portion.

6. A railway frog according to claim 2, said frog comprising an end frog of a crossing, said intersecting flangeways and treadways being disposed at an angle in the range of about 7 to 50 degrees, said angeways defining opposed, acute angle, center points, one of said center points constituting an impact point, said. liangeways also deiining opposed, obtuse angle, side points, said side points constituting impact points, said body having an inner upstanding web under said center impact point, said center impact point being located over a supporting portion, said body having a recess adjacent said last-mentioned supporting portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 458,657 9/1891 Gibbon 246-464 500,930 7/1893 Moxharn 246-464 1,504,330 8/1924 Einstein 246-456 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

S. T. KRAWCZEWICZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RAILWAY FROG COMPRISING A BODY OF CAST STEEL, SAID BODY COMPRISING A TOP BRIDGING WEB, AND UPSTANDING OUTER WEBS, SAID TOP WEB CARRYING INTERSECTING FLANGEWAYS AND TREADWAYS, SAID BODY HAVING SUPPORTING PORTIONS FOR RESTING ON RAILROAD TIES AND A SPANNING PORTION FOR LOCATION BETWEEN THE TIES, SAID BODY AT SAID SUPPORTING PORTIONS HAVING FLANGES PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID UPSTANDING PORTION SLOPING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TO SPANNING PORTION SLOPING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TO FROM A BODY RECESS TO GIVE ACCESS TO TOOLS FOR TAMPING BALLAST BETWEEN TIES. 